undermine the authority

Meaning

To weaken, challenge, or damage someone's power, position, or credibility, especially a leader or manager, often in a gradual or sneaky way. It is used in professional settings to describe actions that make a manager look weak or ineffective to their subordinates.

Examples

• By criticizing the manager in front of the team, you undermine her authority.

  By criticizing the manager in front of the team, you undermine her authority.

• The board's decision to bypass the CEO will seriously undermine the authority of the executive team.

  The board's decision to bypass the CEO will seriously undermine the authority of the executive team.

• I don't want to undermine your authority, but we need to reconsider this policy.

  I don't want to undermine your authority, but we need to reconsider this policy.

• Constantly changing your directives will only undermine the authority of the supervisors.

  Constantly changing your directives will only undermine the authority of the supervisors.

• Any attempt to undermine the authority of the department head will result in disciplinary action.

  Any attempt to undermine the authority of the department head will result in disciplinary action.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ He tried to under-mind the authority of the director.

  ✓ He tried to undermine the authority of the director.

  'Undermine' is often misspelled or misheard as 'under-mind'. It comes from mining under a foundation to make it collapse.

• ✗ The employee undermined the authority to his boss.

  ✓ The employee undermined the authority of his boss.

  Use the preposition 'of' to show whose authority is being weakened, or use a possessive: 'undermined his boss's authority'.

Related Expressions

Practice

• If you disagree with the decision, talk to me privately so we don't ___ of the supervisor.

  💡 weaken the manager's power in public

  Show answer

  undermine the authority

• Leaking confidential emails was a deliberate attempt to ___ of the board.

  💡 damage the leadership's control

  Show answer

  undermine the authority